Eva Joy: Hope & Healing

Babies are meant to be at home with their families. Eva was born at our home in a beautiful unmedicated water birth. Labor & delivery was only around 4 and a half hours. Eva was happy, healthy & latched so well! She got to meet her two brothers and it was a magical time.

(newborn photo taken at home)

Then, a few hours after resting from birth, Eva seemed very tired and I could not get her to nurse again. After waiting a bit and then trying again- I noticed Eva starting to look blue. I got the heating pad and put it on her over her swaddle. Then I quickly realized she wasn’t breathing right. We had to call 911. The ambulance came & the EMS team said we should go to the hospital- although her vitals seemed pretty normal. At the hospital she was admitted to the NICU & thus began our NICU journey.

Eva quickly went down hill with low oxygen levels and her lungs did not respond well to treatment. It was all a blur of decisions being made so quickly after going through the hard work of birth and being exhausted. Eva needed to be transferred to CHKD where she could receive a higher level of care. She was intubated immediately and put on the JET ventilator. They had started antibiotics and decided to keep that going for ten days. Eva had multiple issues resulting in her almost dying. She had high blood pressure (PPHN), pneumonia, a GBS positive bacterial infection that was causing lung problems & heart problems. She popped her lung twice and needed a chest tube twice throughout her time there. She was in the NICU 38 days total. 5 and a half weeks. As one doctor said she was a “10 out of 10 sick baby.” 

Now Eva has been home with us since December 10th 2021. She just turned 10 months old and is thriving. We’ve been to 2 cardiologist follow ups, 1 developmental specialist, 2 eye doctor follow ups and the NICU clinic, along with all the usual pediatrician developmental appointments! She was cleared by her cardiologist and declared a “normal kid.” Of course she will never be normal to us but always an extraordinary miracle of hope and healing.  Her eyes have improved greatly and developmentally she has been right on track and even ahead in some skills. Our experience in the NICU has forever changed us. Everyday you have with your baby and family is a true gift. An act of grace. We are so grateful for our children we can hold and cuddle because we know it is a gift. Even on the tough days our experience has made us more present in the moment. It has softened our hearts and given us new empathy for those whose babies have medical needs or other NICU families. I truly I hope Eva’s story encourages other families that are in the throes of scrubbing in, doing rounds with doctors, and trying to understand medical jargon while doing the best they can for their child. It’s a scary time, a deep valley, but the light is so much brighter after going through that awful pain of almost losing her. Thank you God for our sweet Eva Joy. 

Current photo of Little Miss Eva Joy